Healthcare Occupations Program Grants 2 Healthy Lifestyle Program

Healthy Lifestyle Program

Offers Personalized Counseling for Better Health

Pam Jones, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, provides nutrition counseling to Healthy Lifestyle Program clients.

he Rapides Foundation’s Healthy Lifestyle Program is celebrating its 10-year anniversary working one on one with Central Louisiana residents. More than 3,500 people have taken part T in this free nutrition and physical activity counseling service administered by CMAP.

The goal is to give residents the knowledge and resources they need to lead healthy lifestyles after they graduate from the six-month program. A registered dietitian and an exercise specialist work with each client to offer customized demonstrations and education on proper nutrition and physical activity for good health.

The Healthy Lifestyle Program accepts Central Louisiana residents ages 5 and older who have been referred by their doctors. The program is offered free of charge as part of The Rapides Foundation’s Healthy Behaviors Initiative.

“In working toward our mission to improve the health status of Central Louisiana, the Foundation recognizes that behaviors are a large driver on premature death and illness,” said Joe Rosier, President and CEO of The Rapides Foundation. “Our goal in creating the Healthy Lifestyle Program was to provide residents with the nutrition and exercise tools and knowledge they need to avoid disease and sickness.”

Clients are referred to the program for a variety of reasons. Some need to lose weight for their health. Others have medical problems like high blood pressure, gastrointestinal disorders, food allergies, high cholesterol, fatty liver disease or diabetes that can be improved with healthy lifestyle changes.

The Healthy Lifestyle Program provides residents with resources and behavior changes they can take with them and share with their families. The Foundation recognizes that behavior change is generational, so one of the goals is for children and grandchildren of clients to learn and adopt these healthy behaviors.

Lydia Kozlowski, Healthy Lifestyle Program Exercise Specialist, works one on one with clients.

Central Louisiana physicians appreciate the program because it gives them somewhere to send their patients for follow-up and consistent nutrition and exercise education. Doctors point out that diseases become easier to control when patients modify their diets and increase their physical activity, two key components of the Healthy Lifestyle Program.

HOW TO BECOME PART OF THE PROGRAM

The first step to join the program is to get a referral from your doctor, who will assess your need to make a lifestyle change and your readiness to change. Your doctor will send the referral to Healthy Lifestyle Program staff.

The Healthy Lifestyle Program has a network of Central Louisiana physicians who participate in the program, so it’s likely your doctor has already heard of the program. If not, ask him or her to contact the Healthy Lifestyle Program for a referral form. Healthy Lifestyle Program staff can also assist in contacting your healthcare provider for the referral.

If you don’t already have a doctor or health insurance, the program recommends you visit an HP Long clinic for help establishing a doctor and getting a referral to the program.

HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS

Once enrolled, clients will be scheduled for a 60-minute consultation with a Healthy Lifestyle Program registered dietitian. The dietitian will assess the needs of the client, and work with the client to make realistic and healthy goals, such as learning what the food groups are, weight loss strategies, healthy meal planning and preparation, and how to be more physically active. Clients also learn how to manage their specific medical problems.

The dietitian tracks a client’s progress throughout the program, assessing their eating habits, behavior changes, weight and inches lost, as well as growing in their knowledge on proper nutrition and physical activity.

Once the client’s goals are established, the Healthy Lifestyle Program’s exercise specialist will monitor and track the client’s progress. The exercise specialist serves as a health coach who meets with clients routinely to ensure the client’s plan is being followed, to keep clients motivated and to provide them with tips and accountability. The exercise specialist also provides clients with individualized, easy-tofollow exercise routines.

Healthy Lifestyle Program staff members, from left, are Lydia Kozlowski, Exercise Specialist; Stephanie Heinen, Administrative Assistant; Pam Jones, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist; and Kira Davidson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Healthy Lifestyle Program Coordinator.

In most cases, meetings are held at the CMAP office located in the parish where the client lives.

Throughout the program, clients learn how to make healthy shopping lists, how to read labels, how to combine foods for nutrition benefits and creative ways to increase their daily intake of fruits and vegetables. Clients also learn safe exercises to increase physical activity. All exercises and nutrition plans are customized for the individual client so no two plans are the same.

Clients who have completed the program reported they lost weight, ate healthier, and experienced improvements in their overall wellness. Clients also reported more energy, lower blood sugar levels, better sleep and lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

To keep clients engaged, the Healthy Lifestyle Program offers incentives such as measuring tools, meal plans, recipes, private Facebook group support, exercise equipment, T-shirts and portion plates.

The Healthy Lifestyle Program is piloting group exercise classes for its clients. In addition, it offers community walking clinics for the general public to learn walking tips and to get information about the Healthy Lifestyle Program.

After the six-month program ends, clients are given the option of entering a six-month maintenance program where they meet with their dietitian and exercise specialist once a month. They receive encouragement, support and resources that will help them continue their healthy lifestyles long after they complete the program.

Christine Eding joined the Healthy Lifestyle Program in October 2020 and continued with the six-month maintenance phase. A year later, in December 2021, she saw the results of her hard work. After a checkup with her doctor, she learned her A1C levels, which measure blood sugar and can indicate diabetes, were down.

“My A1C went down to a 6.7! I have been working on my weight and learning to eat more correctly. Thanks to Healthy Lifestyle, I have started accomplishing my goals.”

Kira Davidson, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, is the Healthy Lifestyle Program Coordinator.

Proven Approach to PREVENTING DIABETES

he Healthy Lifestyle Program is offering support groups for Central Louisiana residents who are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The 12-month lifestyle change program, PreventT2, will be brought to four parishes in 2022 and offered to residents who have been referred by their doctors.

Guided by a trained lifestyle coach, participants meet in groups to learn the skills they need to make lasting changes that will help prevent or delay the onset of diabetes, such as losing a modest amount of weight, being more physically active and managing stress. People with prediabetes, defined as having higher than normal blood sugar levels, are 5 to 15 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than people with normal blood sugar levels.

The PreventT2 program is part of the National Diabetes Prevention Program, led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Healthy Lifestyle Program offered a pilot PreventT2 support group in spring 2021, with the first group of participants completing their work in April 2022.

TThe Healthy Lifestyle Program is a component of The Rapides Foundation’s Healthy Behaviors Initiative, which addresses tobacco prevention and control, substance and alcohol abuse prevention, healthy eating and active living. Since its creation in 2011, the Healthy Lifestyle Program has offered one-on-one nutrition and physical activity counseling to Central Louisiana residents. Thirty-one percent of the clients referred to the program have type 2 diabetes. It began offering the diabetes prevention program after recognizing the high numbers of Central Louisiana residents who are at risk of developing diabetes and seeing the benefit of offering support groups to reach more individuals at a time. According to national statistics, likely one-third of adults 18 years or older have prediabetes and are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. More than eight in 10 of those individuals do not know their risk. Research shows the risk can become greatly improved with a few lifestyle changes such as losing weight, being

physically active and managing stress. PreventT2 is based on research that showed that people with prediabetes who lost 5 to 7 percent of their body weight (10 to 14 pounds for a 200-pound person) by making modest changes reduced their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58%.

For the program, participants meet weekly for 1-hour group sessions for 16 weeks. Then, sessions are held biweekly and then monthly to maintain healthy lifestyle changes. Participants meet in groups of up to 20 and are guided by a trained lifestyle coach. Lifestyle coaches are trained to use the CDC-approved curriculum and have the knowledge and skills needed to effectively deliver the program. The CMAP Patient Assistance Program Specialists, who are located throughout Central Louisiana parishes, are being trained to lead sessions in 2022. Participants learn how to eat healthy, add physical activity to their routine, manage stress, stay motivated, and solve problems that can get in the way of healthy changes. The program’s group setting provides a supportive environment with peers who are facing similar challenges and trying to make the same changes.

Sessions include private weigh-ins and structured lessons. Participants submit food and activity trackers and learn how to maintain the knowledge they gain from each session.

Plans for 2022 are to offer four cohorts in Central Louisiana parishes, beginning in Avoyelles Parish in the spring. Other cohorts will be located in Rapides, Vernon and Allen parishes.

Participants in the pilot group reported losing weight and lowering their A1C levels. The A1C test, which measures average blood sugar levels over the past three months, is one of the commonly used tests to diagnose prediabetes and diabetes. In addition, participants reported feeling better, having more energy and learning lifestyle changes they can maintain for the rest of their lives.

When Michelle Janet of Pineville joined the program in 2021, she was overweight and grieving the unexpected death of her husband to a heart attack. Her doctor recommended she take part in the PreventT2 program because she had become prediabetic. She also wanted to stay healthy for her teenage son, who had already lost one parent.

“It gave me motivation to get out of my easy chair and stop drowning my sorrows in food,” she said.

After joining the program she lost 80 pounds, lowered her A1C and managed her depression. She became engaged to be married, started working again, bought new clothes and took a trip to the mountains. More importantly, she knows she is healthy for her son.

“I can’t tell you how grateful I am to be in the program. Without it, I would have continued on the weight spiral I was on.”

The curriculum was easy to follow and covered the topics of nutrition and physical activity. Janet keeps the session handouts in a book so she can refer to them frequently. She also enjoyed the creative ways to burn calories.

“Something new I learned was that exercise could be fun, and chair workouts are really workouts,” she said. “I would definitely recommend this program to any person looking to change their prediabetes status for the better. I am so grateful.”

Participant Ruby Dupas of Alexandria called the program a blessing. In addition to losing more than 40 pounds, she feels better and is sharing her knowledge about healthy foods and exercise with family and friends.

“I lost the weight that I wanted to lose. The results exceeded my expectations. The program works. All you have to do is set a goal, put your mind to it and be determined.”

Like most people, Dupas has been on diets before but eventually gained the weight back. She points out that PreventT2 is a lifestyle change, not a weight-loss program. “It’s working and I feel so good.”

She has learned how to resist foods that are not healthy for her, and is drinking more water than before. She plans her meals and grocery lists so that healthy foods are readily available. Dupas also enjoyed learning creative ways to increase her daily physical activity, such as dancing with her grandkids and walking more on the treadmill.

A retired cook, Dupas is now enjoying making healthy versions of some of her favorite recipes. She cooks with an air fryer, uses more seasonings and makes simple substitutions to reduce the salts, fats and sugars in dishes.

“With God, all things are possible. I would recommend this program to anyone who puts their mind to it.”

TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PREVENTT2 DIABETES PREVENTION PROGRAM, YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING:

• • • 18 years or older; Overweight (BMI greater than 24; greater than 22 if Asian); Diagnosed with prediabetes, gestational diabetes or have risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes; • No previous diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

To participate, call the Healthy Lifestyle Program at (318) 767-3019 for more information. rapidesfoundation.org